A's will have to hit in October to fulfill expectations

Yoenis Céspedes provided power for the A's, hitting 66 homers in 365 games while he was in Oakland.

Yoenis Céspedes provided power for the A's, hitting 66 homers in 365 games while he was in Oakland.

Photo: Jason O. Watson, Getty Images

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Jon Lester will complement an already-deep Oakland pitching staff that has young talent.

Jon Lester will complement an already-deep Oakland pitching staff that has young talent.

Photo: Jared Wickerham, Getty Images

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BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 1: Yoenis Cespedes of the Boston Red Sox speaks to the press before a game with the New York Yankees at Fenway Park on August 1, 2014 in Boston, Massachusetts. Cespedes Came to the Red Sox in a trade with the Oakland Athletics. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) less

BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 1: Yoenis Cespedes of the Boston Red Sox speaks to the press before a game with the New York Yankees at Fenway Park on August 1, 2014 in Boston, Massachusetts. Cespedes Came to the Red Sox ... more

Photo: Jim Rogash, Getty Images

A's will have to hit in October to fulfill expectations

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Scenes from the Boston Red Sox camp, spring 2015:

Yoenis Céspedes trades knowing glances with Jon Lester as excitement surrounds a rejuvenated team. Céspedes hit 15 homers over the last two months of the '14 season, and now Lester has re-signed with Boston after a close call - but no ring - in the playoffs for Oakland. Meanwhile, the never-vanquished Billy Beane moves furiously ahead with a new strategy.

Did somebody let Debbie Downer into the room?

Not at all. The 3-Dot Lounge heartily endorses Beane's deal for Lester because of the grave consequences down the road. On a landscape of timid and paranoid general managers - check out Philadelphia and Kansas City, just for starters - Beane is absolutely fearless, moving forward with the joyful abandon of a kid trading baseball cards.

Even among the most cynical observers around the game, nobody questions Beane's willingness to give up his best prospect (Addison Russell) and best athlete (Céspedes) for top-level pitching. It's refreshing on so many fronts, not the least of which was the surprise angle: After weeks of tedious, half-baked rumors throughout the major leagues, Beane pulled a couple of shockers out of nowhere.

Here's the biggest issue, from this viewpoint: Come October, the A's will have to hit. It's all very nice that they lead the majors in runs scored and run differential, but the slate goes clean in the postseason. Granted, Céspedes' stats this season were decidedly underwhelming, particularly the .303 on-base percentage. But when the A's lost the 2012 Division Series to Detroit, batting .194 as a team, Céspedes hit .316. Last year, the numbers were .217 and .389. While so many teammates faded into obscurity, Céspedes was clearly comfortable with the stage.

An American League scout Friday called the loss of Céspedes "significant - a huge factor. Nobody brought to the park what he did. He was the guy in that lineup we truly feared, and he'll be that in Boston, too. But hey - I don't think anybody loses in this deal. For this year, anyhow."

So often in the past - since the Tony La Russa years, in fact - the A's were the postseason underdog. That all changes now. They're supposed to win it, and the pressure's on. If that doesn't make for enjoyable viewing, I'll move the Lounge to Moscow.

Many cards to play

Amazing: Even with all that maneuvering, including the departure of Tommy Milone, the A's still have rotation depth in Jesse Chavez and Drew Pomeranz. That will be crucial if they decide to replace Jason Hammel, or give Sonny Gray or ScottKazmir a break. ... What Lester gave the Red Sox last October: Won Game 1 of the Division Series against Tampa Bay. Won Game 5 of the ALCS against Detroit. Won Games 1 and 5 of the World Series against St. Louis. ... The Red Sox haven't changed much since then. They've only lost four starting pitchers, a key reliever, the catcher, the shortstop, the left fielder and the center fielder. ... The Red Sox will be tempted to use Céspedes' arm in right field, but more likely they put him in left - where his arm is never likely to be challenged at Fenway. ... The Jake Peavy deal cost the Giants Edwin Escobar, and although most scouts project him as a No. 5 starter at best, he has to savor the wide-open rotation landscape in Boston. ... This can't make the A's too comfortable: At the moment, Justin Verlander is the least effective member of the Tigers' five-man rotation. ... Who takes over for the departed Austin Jackson as Detroit's center fielder? Rajai Davis, formerly of the Giants and A's, in (probably) a platoon with left-handed-hitting Ezequiel Carrera, a speedy, high-average hitter in Triple-A. ... Forget Seattle. Decent pickups in Jackson and Chris Denorfia, but not nearly enough to make a difference.

Thursday wasn't so great for the Angels. No deals were made, and lefty Tyler Skaggs had to leave his start with a forearm strain. But that team will hit (check out first baseman Efren Navarro, a fine all-around player) and the bullpen was immeasurably improved with the deals for Huston Street, Jason Grilli and Joe Thatcher. ... No statistic can measure a pitcher's state of mind after a complete game. Great stuff from Bruce Bochy on Friday night, letting Ryan Vogelsong finish his gem. ... As we suspected, Manny Machado absorbed his suspension and didn't look back after those unfortunate episodes against the A's. Aside from his clutch hitting and spectacular defense, he's grown up - a lot - and could very well lead Baltimore into the playoffs. ... Right here with your salary cap: While NBA executives feel fortunate to make a trade of any kind, free-enterprise baseball goes crazy on deadline day, involving 12 deals and 37 players. Even more impressively, the MLB standings reveal the very essence of parity. ... We were Dead Wrong in Public about Dee Gordon in March. The Dodgers felt all along he'd level out his swing and become a game-changing leadoff man, and that's exactly what happened. ... The Giants should keep Wednesday's images fresh in the mind. Day game, Pirates in town, Giants unspeakably bad at home, no upbeat trends - and an optimistic, sold-out crowd turned the day into a festival (and a win). Best ballpark experience in the big leagues, bar none.